After Life
by AnAutumnBreeze
Summary: A love story that goes beyond death, in which a girl awakens in the After World to find her love. Filled with golblins, haunted woods, and adventure! PLZ READ!
1. 1 The Perfect Life

PART 1- Chapter 1- Ending The Perfect Life (FLUFF)  
  
For some reason, that day I had a strong urge to sleep in...sometimes I wish I did, and sometimes I look at it as me having some sort of importance. In life, when something bad happens, you always want time to go back, to fix what went wrong. This was definitely one of those times. All the memories, all the good times, you would expect the pain to be unbearable. To tell you the truth, it feels like...it was all just a good dream, and I woke up, in a living nightmare. I was standing in my new bathroom, looking at my reflection in the mirror. Who am I really? I thought. Straight-A student, Class President, and varsity track runner...but that wasn't me. I always had help getting those accomplishments, like I was the product of parents, teachers and coaches; nothing of my own doing. I examined my reflection: long brown hair to the middle of my back, bright green eyes, warmly tanned, rosy cheeks, and a toned thin body. I touched my cheeks, and closed my eyes. If this is real, then why do I not feel like...me? It feels like I've become the person everyone wants me to be. I turned away from the mirror, and my eyes drifted to my room. I should be happy to be living here. I have a roof over my head, nice clothes, and I always have food to eat. Money was never a problem, either. I could be in another place...cold, without family and friends. God, what a horrible thing to happen to anyone. I don't think I could ever handle that. Loosing my life...But that could never happen, right? I looked back at my reflecting, half expecting my reflection to answer back.  
  
"Right." I answered for my mime. I have to admit though; I had a very good life. Aside from the part about having overly obsessive parents, I loved them very much, but a lot of the time I felt so crowded. Like they were trying to re-live their childhoods through me. 'Get good grades!' 'I know you can do better.' Are phrases I constantly heard.  
  
I am really lucky for the fact that I had an amazing boyfriend. He was my other half. Scott is like a dream. I remember, once when I was 14, Scott and I went to our first dance together. I don't think I've ever been that nervous in my life. We had a great time, and we had our first kiss. It was definitely a night to remember. "ANNA!" yelled my friend Christine from outside. I sighed and smiled, why should I be in a bad mood for no reason? "Anna! Come on!" Christine shouted louder. I walked to the window and looked outside. It seemed like a perfect day. The sky was bright blue with only a couple clouds. The street wasn't busy with cars. And my friend Christine sitting on the brick wall in front of my house. I still remember the smell of the fresh grass and the roses my grandmother planted. I don't know why or how I could remember such little details, but those things that I took for granted, I can never know again. "Coming." I said in a whisper as I walked down the hall, stepped over my cat, Madonna. My footsteps echoed throughout the house. My family was up at my cousin's house; I decided to stay home, as usual. I liked staying in the house by myself. I liked the privacy. All my life, I have gotten everything I have ever wanted. I have wonderful family, great friends. I had the perfect life. I put my hand on the knob and looked at it for a second. A distant thought came to my head, but I couldn't put my finger on where or when it came from, I twisted the doorknob and pushed open the door. The fresh air filled my lounges and I smiled. I walked outside and down the front of my yard to my friend. As I was walking I noticed the details about my home. A beautiful white house, a brick walkway, and two chestnuts trees' in front of the house. I had lived there my whole life. I loved that house. But I never took the time to really look at it, appreciate it. "Took you long enough." Christine said teasingly. Christine was my best friend. She was pretty much perfect, too. She was the star track runner, she had great grades, and not to mention, she was hand down the prettiest girl in the school. I was often jealous of her beautiful blonde hair, or how she was always considered the coolest girl in our school. We both sat down on the brick wall looking at Christine's picture album from the 8th grade year. The pictures brought back distance memories from three years prior. One was from 8th grade beach day. My whole group and me were on the school soccer team, it was like our sport. Another was of our friend Heather walking down the hall. The one that I loved, was me and my boyfriend, Scott, at our winter formal. That was such a fun night, we had dinner at a beautiful restaurant, and danced the night away. He isn't like most guys, you know. I can honestly say he is my soul mate. Scott was getting back from vacation in Mexico today, I thought. I hadn't seen him for only a week and I missed him. Little did I know I would be searching for a very long time for him. They say that young people (like myself) don't know what they are talking about when they say they are in love. Well, I prove that theory wrong. "Anna, you've been staring at that picture for freaking hours!" laughed Christine. "Where is your lover-boy anyway?" "He's getting back from Mexico today..." I started to say. "I can't believe he is actually flying, with all these bomb threats and stuff. How stupid can the news people be? Like we're actually gunna get attacked or something. They are just causing people to be worried for no reason." Christine interrupted. Something about what she just said made me uneasy. She looked at me and then I noticed a red car turn the corner. "Speaking of lover-boy." I said as I watched her boyfriend's car turn the corner. A red mustang car pulled up the street, Christine's boyfriend had arrived to pick her up. The red car parked infront of my house, barely missing a sleeping cat. David waved at me as he got out of the car. One thing I still remember about David is that he was very tall, and was a Frank Sinatra look- a-like. Partially his only flaw is the fact he is somewhat known as the school "geek", but who's saying that's a flaw? "Are you feeling okay Anna?" Said David as he walked up on the sidewalk. I looked up, surprised. "Yeah, do I look sick or something?" I said indignantly, as a sat up and gave an unusually hard smile. "No....I guess not. You just look a little... well I don't know, it's prolly just me. Are you ready Christine?" David asked, looking to her.  
"Yup!" she said as she grabbed her photo album and sat up.  
  
"I'll call you tonight, okay An? We should see the new Brad Pitt movie  
this weekend!" Said christine.,  
  
"Okay, sounds awesome!" I said, starting to feel a little happier.  
  
They both started walking to the car when we all heard a sound. It was like a deep thunder, and we all looked up. A harsh breeze hit our faces, and the smell of metal and rust filled our noses. A huge army-green plane flew overhead, that must have been only half a mile up, which was very close for comfort. It eclipsed us in shadow as its huge mass controlled the sky. "What is this? Is Osama Bin Laden attacking us again?" said David in a laugh. I looked at him and could tell that his laugh was covering up great feat. His lips quivered. "What are they doing flying so low?" Christina said, transfixed. Like David, she started to look very pale. "It's probably just a military run through or something. They do this kind of stuff all the time." I said casually. Too casually. I spoke way to soon. At that moment the bottom of the plane opened up. Everyone knew that the bottom of planes open up for one reason: to drop something. My stomach twisted and I started to feel faint. This isn't happening! It's just a dream! This isn't happening! The words never left my mouth.  
  
A oval shaped object started to be lowered out of the plane and we al knew what was going to happen next. "RUN!" Yelled David as we all three ran in the opposite direction. A massive bomb had dropped from the bottom of the plane. This bomb was as big as a tanker. I knew in the back of my head a bomb that size wouldn't have the same effect as the cherry bombs the guys used to put in the toilets or lockers at school. We must have been 200 feet from the bomb when it hit the ground. We stopped running and looked at it. A million thoughts went through each of our minds in the two seconds we had to watch the bomb hit. So many times I had thought, why haven't we been attacked again? Are they planning something big? This was very ironic; because I always thought my town was the last place to be attacked. I thought about so many things at once. Will I ever see my family again? Will I be in pain? Is there life after death? Oh god, please, I don't want this to be the end. I want this to be a bad dream! But it's real.... oh god, how could somebody do this? I'll never get to be married, or go to college, or have a family. I'm only 17, I don't want to die! I still have another 80 years! Tears started forming behind my eyes. My veins pumped, readying my body to run. But I couldn't outrun it. I had no choice. I turned my head and watched David hold onto Christine. Where's Scott? I'll never see him again...My head pounded blood, and my heart was in an un-rhythmic slow beat. My breath stopped. The whole world froze in those two seconds. God, save me, I thought. I closed my eyes and held my breathe, then the world around me disappeared.  
  
10 atomic bombs were dropped simultaneously that day, killing off the entire human race. 


	2. 2 Death Count

Musk. old, dusty, musk. I opened my eyes; I was standing in my room. But then I realized, it wasn't my room. Everything is aged, as if a hundred years went by, this couldn't be my new room. Everything was dusty, and the air tasted old. What happened? I thought. The blinds were closed, and a yellow light filtered through. It wasn't sunlight though; it was more like a whisper from an almost dead oil lamp. I looked at my dresser. My fresh roses I picked this morning were now dried and dusty. Then at my computer. It was covored in a thick dusty shell. I slowly walked out of my room and looked down the hall. The air seemed to be coated with a gray haze. Nobody. I then walked into my bathroom, and looked into my mirror, as I had done, what seemed like just an hour ago. I grabbed my washcloth, which felt old and brittle, and wiped off the dust, so I could see my reflection. Everything looked the same, except one thing. There was no color on me, except my green eyes. Inside I faught between screaming and crying. "I don't get it! Is this some kind of sick dream? I want to wake up, right now!" I yelled. My voice barely echoed. I took a deep breath, and instantly my whole body convulsed. It hurt as if I hadn't breathed in years. I stood panting, clutching my chest. Beep. Beep Beep. What's that? I thought. I walked out of my bathroom and into my room again. I listening for the noise again, when it repeated, I found that it was coming from my computer. I walked over to it, and sat in my chair. The screen was black, except for a blinking green underscore. I wiped the screen with my hand so I could see better. Then green writing appeared.  
  
"The Worst Attack In Mankind"  
"IRAQ, FIGHTS BACK"  
  
"The End of Life"  
  
These are newspaper headings! I thought to myself. But what does it all mean? That bomb should have killed me.... or...am I dead? But I feel alive, I thought. I looked at my skin, and pinched it. It felt as if my hand had gone numb. I could feel the touch, but no pain. But I have to be alive...I think. The thoughts flew through my head. I looked back at the computer screen and it was blank again. Next it showed something that made my stomach knot up.  
Death Lists. It had rows and rows of cities, ordered under countries, ordered under continents. Continents! I thought in agony. Everything gone, Ventura must be wiped out. My eyes started to sting with tears. That bomb destroyed everything. Everything. The screen had once again changed. This time it read...  
  
"Ventura, California" Death Count – Whole city-  
  
This meant that I died, and all of my friends died, too. I took my mouse and clicked on the words. Then names started appearing on the screem. I hesitantly started looking down the rows and rows of names. These were the people that died in Ventura. I knew these people. Friends, Family...teachers...oh god. She was so nice...I went to kindergarten with him. I must have looked at that list for hours, just remembering the people. Then what appeared on my screen made me want to scream. My heart felt like it was shot. On the screen appeared my boyfriend's name. In between his sister's, mother's, and father's. "I can't take this anymore!" I screamed. I ran up to my mirror, looked at my reflection once again, and threw my fist into it. The shattered pieces fell to the floor. I looked at my hand. I had a cut on my hand, that bled black blood. The cut then seemed to shrink, until it disappeared. This is crazy! I ran out of my room and down the hall. I violently grabbed the doorknob and stopped. I looked at my hand. I've done this before, I thought. I twisted the doorknob and opened the door. I wish someone could have prepared me for what I was about to see. 


	3. 3 The Awakening

PART 1-Chapter 3- The Awakening  
  
The minute I walked out of my door, it closed behind me. I was in a white room. No, it was more like just endless light. I couldn't distinct where the walls ended or started. All I knew was I was standing on the ground. Or is this the ground? I looked around, and did not see anything. Only bright white light. "Hello?" I said. I looked around, not knowing what to expect.  
  
I felt blind, unable to defend myself, unable to protect myself. I curled up on the floor, clutching my knees. "Is anybody there?" I pleaded, my eyes started filling with tears. I felt afraid. "Welcome Anna Smith. It is time that you finally awakened." I heard a voice of a woman say. She sounded so tender . Her voice was soft and soothing, like a mother speaking to a newborn baby. "Where are you?" I asked. My eyes searched everywhere; I did not see a change, only light. "I am not a being, but just a voice." The voice answered. I sat down, scared. I looked at my hands. They had the color back in them. I sat for a moment before I spoke again. "Where am I?" "You are in the crossroads between the state of Dream, and Awakenment. It is time you enter the Afterworld." "I don't understand. What happened? Where am I?" "You have died, and now you are going to Afterworld. It is a place for souls to be when they die. You have a choice of six items to bring with you from your past life." I sat and covered my face. This is too much. But I have no other choice. It would be better to do what she says. I thought of the things that were most dear to me, and the things I felt I needed. "My red backpack, my journal, my photo album, an outfit, a pocket knife and my cat Madonna. Can you do that?" "I can allow it. But you must understand in this life, that you will be able to communicate with your feline friend. And she will not be exactly what you remember. " "I don't know what you mean exactly, but alright." I answered. I saw a faint red glow a couple feet infront of me. Then everything I asked for appeared in a pile. I took my outfit first and only then did I realize I was naked. I very quickly dressed into my outfit. My blue jeans, white teeshirt, red jacket, and black Doc Martin shoes. I put my photo album and my journal in my backpack, and swung it over my back. And I took the knife and stuck it in my back pocket. I needed to protect myself. "And my cat?" I asked. "Behind you." When I turned around I wanted to scream. A creature in the shape of a small child stood in front of me. But when I looked closer, it seemed more to be half child, and half cat. White fur all over the body, long pointed nails like a cat, a face like a cat, with piercing green eyes, and a long white tail. But standing on two legs. It reminded me of a child wearing a cat Halloween costume. The creature took a step forward, not breaking eye contact with me. I fumbled backwards. I wanted to keep my distance. The creature stopped, and looked saddened. "Why do you look scared of me?" Said in creature, in the sad voice of a child. I stood my ground, and looked at it once more. "I don't remember you looking like this." I answered. My voice surprisingly shook. This terrified me. "Looking like what?" Madonna replied, looking at me strangly. Her eyes gazed right into mine. She stood quite awkwardly, as if she had never stood right before.  
  
"Like...a human child!'I said angrily.This was some sort of sick joke. "Look..." I went into my backpack and pulled a my CD out of my CD player I always had in it. I turned the CD around to where Madonna could see her reflection.  
  
The child-like cat looked into the mirror and shrieked with the voice of a little girl.  
  
"What has happened to me?" said Madonna, scratching at her face.  
Suddenly the voice spoke again.  
  
"It is time you are let into the Afterworld. Do not be scared, but be cautious of whom you trust and meet." I looked at Madonna, and she looked at me. Then everything went black, for a second time. 


	4. 4 The Forest Of Sadness

CHAP 4 – The Forest of Saddness  
  
The air was damp and cold, and I was wishing I were home in my warm bed. Slowly, I started to see outlines of figures. I looked up and saw giant shapes. Slowly swaying back and forth. My eyes came even more into focus so that I could recognize what they were: Massive silver trees. Beyond that were black clouds pelting rain sending the forest into a chaotic mess of rain, wind, and coldness. . "Madonna? Is that you?" I felt around in the blackness. The ground felt uneven against my feet. As I stepped back and forth, I could feel leaves crunching and sticks braking. The cold wind sent chills down my back and my soaking wet clothes clung tightly to my skin. I stepped down into a small hole and fumbled forward. A pair of furry arms caught me mid way and saves me from possibly nasty fall. "OH! Maddy! You're a lifesaver!" I stood up. My vision was now good enough to see her looking at me. She, too, was soaking wet, and looked absolutely terrified, "What is this place?" she asked. We both turned away from each other and looked around. Trees as far as you cold see. The silver in the tree's sparkles in the darkness. This place was more than just a forest, I could feel it. There was a sadness. "It looks like a huge forest to me." I said. "We'd better find shelter before this wind and cold gets the best of us..." Maddy said. We started walking through the sticks and fallen trees. The forest seemed endless and as if there was no hope of ever finding our way out. I started to feel a knot in my stomach; I wanted to find shelter...I wanted to go home.  
After around ten minutes of crawling through the forest and a couple cuts each, we finally found a tiny shelter under a fallen tree. We both sat, huddled against each other, trying to keep warm. "This should work for shelter until the morning." Said Maddy, leaning against the trunk of the tree. "If there is a morning..." I said. Maddy gave me a serious look. I could tell she was as scared as I was. I looked at her closer, how horrible it must be to wake up in a place like this? It was my doing that brought her here. Maybe I should have just asked for sun block or something. I have to admit though, I am very happy I'm not here alone.  
Eventually Maddy drifted to sleep, and I was left staring into the darkness of the forest. I wish I could have my diary...but wait! I do! I grabbed my backpack and rummaged through it and drew out my leather covor diary and pen. I adjusted myself so that some of the little night light would allow me to see my writing. I slowly opened the book and turned to the first page. My pen hovered above the page as I started to write. Date unknown, time, at night.  
  
Journal, I see no point in writing about what has happened. So let's just start with now. It is raining very hard still, but I think it might clear up sometime soon. Maddy is asleep now and I can't sleep. That's why I have come to you. I don't think I have ever been as scared as I am now. I wish I were home, with my friends and family. Even my grumpy cousins seem wonderful compaired to this. I can't stop thinking of what's going to happen. Have all the other people who died, awoken just as I have? Is what I am experiencing uncommon? Has this happened to everyone? I wish you were more than just a place for me to write my thoughts. I wish you could give me advice. I wish I had answers.  
I have one goal. That is to find my love, Scott. I don't even know if he is out there in this world. But if he is, I have to find him. I will write later.  
Anna  
  
I closed my journal and tucked it safely back into my backpack. I felt a little better that I had let some of my thoughts out. I had to save strength for the adventures that would follow the next day. And with that, I leaned against the trunk and fell into a dreamless sleep. 


	5. 5 The Golden Friend

CHAP 4 – The Golden Friend  
  
My body ached as I turned over. I felt as if I had slept on a bed of nails. Opening my eyes, golden light blinded me. I turned away in the shadow of the tree from the hurt of the light. I rubbed my eyes and looked at Maddy, who was curled up at the base of the tree. Once my eyes had adjusted to the brightness, I tilted my head backwards and looked up. The once silver trees were now glowing in a golden rainbow of colors. The forest seemed alive and almost magical as tiny animals scurried through the leaves and sticks strewn forest floor. Birds could be heard chirping loudly and happily, it seemed as if they were all singing the same song. I stood up and looked to my left. Where I saw a tiny stream of water, running down the side of a small hill. It trickled its way down across the forest. I walked over to the stream, stepping over broken branch's and through various bushes, leaving my friend sleeping in the shade of a great tree. I sat down on a log next to the small stream. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, this is real. I put my hand into the running stream, and to my surprise, it was warm to the touch. I cupped my hands together and let the warm water run into my hands. The serenity of the forest took me over, and I couldn't resist drinking the warm water. As I brought my hands to my mouth, a voice startled me.  
  
"I wouldn't drink that if I were you."  
  
I whipped around to see a short girl with red hair standing lower on the hill below me. Her hair was tightly pulled back into a bun, and she had a stern look on her face. Leather clothing adorned her body, and a bright green amulet was hanging from her neck. She held onto a long staff, which was taller than her. She looked at me with a questioning look.  
  
"Don't you know that water will put you into a dreamless sleep for days?"said the girl as she walked towards me.  
  
"Oh...no I didn't. I don't know anything anymore.." I said, looking towards the ground. "Where am I?" I asked. The questions started erupting in my mind: this person knows where this is. Maybe she could help me...  
  
The girl walked up the hill, and motioned for me to sit down on a nearby tree stump. She sat down next to me.  
  
"Who are you?" she said. Her face looked much less stern, and a lot more helpful.  
  
"Well...I'm me... and my ca-friend, Maddy, is sitting in the shade of that tree." I pointed to Maddy, who was curled up below the tree.  
  
"I see. My name is Sara. When did you cross over?" she said, as if she had asked this question many times before.  
  
"Yesterday...a couple days ago, I can't really tell, it's all been a big blur to me." I said, looking to my left and right, the forest seemed to be getting bigger and bigger as we talked.  
  
"There are a lot of things you have to learn then. This world is not safe, like the old world was. You have to be more careful." Sara said, gripping her staff and glancing around, as if she expected someone was there.  
  
I looked at her closely, and she looked fairly familiar to me. Up until this point, I hadn't have noticed.  
  
"You look familiar, where did you come from?"  
  
The girl looked at me differently. As if she was trying to see someone through me. She leaned over and ran her hands through the water, and then look at me.  
  
"It's been a long time since someone has asked me that question. So long that I don't even remember the answer." She said, looking deeply sad.  
  
"What's your name?" I asked again.  
  
"My name is Sara. And I came from Los Angeles. I don't remember it, just that that's where I came from. Of all the things you remember, never forget your life." Said Sara.  
  
"I lived there too! Maybe we knew each other! Did you go to St.Mark's High School?" I asked, leaning forward in excitement.  
  
Sara closed her eyes and then smiled to herself.  
  
"Yes, yes, I did."  
  
For the first time, Sara laughed. She grinned from ear to ear and yelled at the top of her lungs. I sat there, in shock, and amazed that she was so happy.  
  
"I remember!" Sara exclaimed, looking me right in the eye.  
  
"And I remember you. Your Alexis. I sat next to your in biology Freshman year."  
  
"Ahhhh!" I yelled. Soon I found myself in a deep embrace with Sara. I had begun my journey finding my lost friends.  
  
Diary,  
  
I am so happy, I have found Sara. She has told me she will help me find Scott. She says everyone has a purpose, and the reason we are all here is to fulfill that purpose. She told me a lot about what has been going on in this new "world". Basically, there is no law, everyone just does what they want, and there's no one there to stop them. She also says we have to be careful, because there are mad people out there. I asked her if she thought I had a chance of finding my other friends, and especially Scott. She said that this "world" has been around for a very long time now, and I was really late "crossing over", so there's a chance the people I loved could be dead. I can't loose Scott...I just can't. Tomarrow we are going into the Wasteland, wherever that is. She says it has a lot of people. Can't wait.  
  
Night  
  
-Alexis  
  
Sara and I talked for hours it seemed. I felt as if I were on top of the world. The sun moved from the Far East and was now overhead. The forest was glittering with dust and other fragments as they drifted throughout the trees. The whole forest reminded me of a fairy tale, and during our talk I half expected the seven dwarfs to come walking through the woods, or Bastian from the Never ending Story to go running by. I was in my own living fairy tale. We talked about many things, and she told me about all the adventures she's had and what she's in search of. She told me that she had awakened around two years ago, and now she is in search of her younger brother, Jared. It turns out that most people that crossed over are too looking for lost loved ones, and sadly, not many find them. Soon we decided we must continue on our journey, together. "Maddy!' I yelled at my now human feline friend. She groggily yawned and turned over. "Oh Maddy...dinner time." I whispered sneakily in her ear. Her ears immediately perked up and she lifted up her head sleepily. "What do ya want?" She said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She then looked at Sara with a bit of surprised, and looked to me as if I were going to explain who she was. "This is Sara. When I was walking by the stream we ran into each other. She went to the same High School as me. She's going to come with us." I said. Sara smiled at Maddy, and Maddy looked somewhat relieved. "I'm glad someone knows where were going!" She said laughing at me. I gave her a stern look, and then too laughed. "So, where are we going anyway?" I asked Sara. She looked at me and then looked to the ground. Instantly, she looked to the west and pointed with her index finger. "We're going to the Wasteland." She said triumphantly. She looked to us expecting us to be wowed. We just gave her blank expressions. 


End file.
